Now I should say Medellin is absolutely very beautiful, it has great art, the city is built in the bowl of 2 mountain peaks, breathtaking, lots of greenery, it is very clean, people are helpful, beautiful women. But boy oh boy getting here and dealing with airlines and tour companies unbelievable! It all started, with my connection in San Salvador, my connection left early, I think pilot had hot date!! We could have stayed in San Salvador overnight in airport, but it has one of the highest crime rates in the world 300 to 400 killings a month, I decided that wasn’t a smart idea, so they hustled us on the plane to Bogota, arriving at 12:30am, put us in hotel for 2 hours and back on the plane at 5:30am for Medellin, the driver picked me up and I went straight on city tour, no sleep at all. The hotel said that my hotel room wasn’t paid for, which it was; the airline gave me voucher for $125.00US. The problem, so many rules; no one at airport knows what to do with it. The driver who just picked me up today lifted my bag which is right on weight allowance and told me he needed more money to lift it, I said no way and I didn’t tip him. My poor travel agent, Tammy, is doing her best! Part of the problem is language and part is people trying to shake down tourists (sorry, strong words, but, that is the way I see it), no flexibility in schedules, no checking with airlines, and the only person wrong is the tourist! The hotel where I stayed was a very small, lovely hotel, in best part of town, and was recommended by a friend in Toronto! The customer service is non-existent; tourists live by their rules.

Amazing statues all over main square in Medillin, artist’s name is Botero.

I am now waiting for my plane to, Cartagena, for 4 more days in Columbia. Hope springs eternal!!!

P.S I just arrived in Cartagena, and the driver didn’t show up, my hotel is in a walled part of the city, it is small and lovely! The guide showed up this morning‎ and said we were going on a walking tour for 1 hour, when I had booked 3-hour city tour; at that point enough was enough!! I ended speaking to the Director of the Tour Company in Bogota; we had heart to heart!! A couple of interesting points, most cars are fueled by natural gas, from under the hood, not a gas tank, much cheaper and cleaner.

Being in Columbia, I have to mention drugs, most of the Cartels have moved to Mexico, but the production still happens here, drugs are on every street corner.

More on Cartagena later! Oh, it is 90 degrees Fahrenheit!

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About Betty Steinhauer

Betty Steinhauer was born in England and raised in Toronto, Canada. Even as a young mother, Betty was active in the community sitting on a number of boards and lending her expertise to various public organizations. In 1983, she founded Betty Steinhauer & Associates Ltd. a consulting firm where, for twenty-five years, she used her unique abilities to act as a catalyst, facilitator and advisor to both the private and public sectors, in forging relationships between organizations and/or individuals for mutually advantageous outcomes.
For many years, Betty travelled widely in out-of-the-way areas of the world. As she travelled, the idea for The People Bridge Charitable Foundation was formed. The People Bridge was registered as a Canadian charity in 1997. The mandate of the Foundation was to facilitate important changes in the lives of ordinary people through small-scale charitable projects. Betty has now retired the Foundation that, during its lifetime, undertook over 100 projects worldwide, mostly in conjunction with organizations already working in the target area.
Betty’s experience and expertise in business, along with the advice and assistance she receives from colleagues around the globe, give her a unique ability to spot the need and understand how it can be met. Betty has the unusual combination of an entrepreneur’s abilities and an intrinsic understanding of people.
Betty has visited India seventeen times in the past twenty years to pursue her spiritual journey. She has frequently been a guest of the Brahma Kumaris and the World Spiritual University to study meditation and further her own spiritual life. Betty is currently active with the Steering Committee of the Spirit of Humanity Forum, in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is an annual Forum that, it is felt, will become to the spiritual world what the Davos Forum is to the financial world.
Betty makes her home in Toronto, and has published her memoir “My Way”. She began her Nomadic Internship in the summer of 2013.

One Response to Medellin, Columbia

Betty: So sorry you are getting the runaround in Colombia. We didn’t run into any of it. The only tour we took was the Pablo Escobar Tour in Medellin. It was fascinating. We met his brother Roberto, whio was an engineer an who knows where all the $$$ is buried. Coffee country was magnifucent and I hope you got a chance to get there. We loved Medellin, its cosmopolitan flavor that is uniquely Colombian. Cartegena and Santa Marta were also great fun. Hope things are working out better for you. Sending love and wishing you a great adventure! Barbara